A new chapter in the life of a local fabric textile artist has started with the opening of her first major exhibition of work.

‘Bookish’ by Baradine artist, Tina Pech features imaginative creations using traditional and invented construction methods, as well as alternative stitching and materials, to create a collection of book-like sculptures which push and challenge how we regard books and their functions.

A self-confessed bookworm, Tina explores the question of the allure of books and why we like them in her exhibition that opened at the Western Plains Cultural Centre in Dubbo on Saturday, 1 March.

“My creative practice is heavily influenced by the physicality of books, their tactility, warmth, and tangible presence,” she said.  “Through the practice of constructing and deconstructing books, I am exploring their physical structure and experimenting and playing with a book's boundaries and anatomy.

“I am asking why do we like books? Is it just their content we admire, or their look and feel, or even their smell? What makes a book more than a literary object?

Book Blossom, one of Tina’s thought-provoking creative book-themed works on display in her exhibition.

“Books historically have been valued as the keepers of knowledge. Books house both information and imagination: they contain our stories, records, secrets, and potentials for growth, insight, and change. While they remain silent communicators, their power is towering, inspiring us to read, absorb, inscribe, and to become story tellers in our own right.”

Tina was given the opportunity to display a collection of her work through the Western Plains Cultural Centre HomeGround, a professional development program for emerging artists focusing on those wanting to expand their skills and benefit from the experience of working alongside curatorial staff within a professional gallery.

A special education teacher, Tina describes herself as a mixed media artist working primarily with textiles with a particular focus on fibre art, bookbinding, costumes and millinery. She is a published writer and poet and defines her work as a space where things collide and mix, creating a dialect of its own.

“I particularly love anything to do with books and book binding is a skill I have learnt over a period of time,” she added. “I am a member of the online book binding community, which is pretty amazing and inspiring. 

“Once I have set a theme, it is then all about the materials and getting creative. I like to play around with the binding and various techniques, which sometimes stretch the true concept of a book. I want to give the idea that a book is not just something to read, but an object to admire and be decorative; there is a lot of playful experimentation in my work on the structural nature of books.

“This collection of works is the result of a creative journey for me. I feel that it brings together my love for reading, journaling, book binding and artistic textile sculpturing."